On January 27, 2025, Sergey Syrankov, the head of the Communist Party, discussed combating welfare dependency in Belarus with Grigoriy Azarenok on the program "Azarenok.Directly." He suggested codifying into law the duty of every citizen to be employed. After all, according to the politician, some people don't work but still receive state benefits, "giving nothing in return."
"For example, in rural areas, someone might be receiving unemployment benefits that differ only slightly, perhaps, in monetary terms, from the minimum wage at a small enterprise, or maybe even a privately owned one. So why, hypothetically, should I work? If you're not satisfied with that situation, we'll find something for you to do," said Syrankov.
The minimum wage in Belarus as of January 1, 2025, is 726 rubles per month, which amounts to approximately €204.
Until 2025, the maximum unemployment benefit an unemployed person could receive reached two times the base value (a standard monetary value used in Belarus for calculating various payments - translator's note). At the time of writing this article, that amounted to 84 rubles per month or approximately €23, which is 8.5 times less than the minimum wage. However, beginning January 2025, the benefit was reduced and fixed at 40 rubles, or just over €10. In other words, the minimum wage is now more than 18 times higher than the unemployment benefit.
Additionally, starting from 2025, the duration of unemployment benefits has been reduced from six months to three, and the eligibility requirements have become stricter.
For example, previously, even those who had never worked could receive such support. Now, only individuals with at least five years of work experience are eligible.
